Learning Differences

Homeschooling journeys are not always smooth. Sometimes we hit road bumps or boulders that bring us to a screeching halt. I have six children and have been homeschooling for twenty-two years. I quickly learned that what works for one child doesn’t always work for the next. The beauty of homeschooling is finding the perfect fit when educating each child. Early on this child required more one-on-one attention academically. My other children did not demand this amount of help. By the time my other children reached fifth to the sixth grade they were well on their way to being independent learners. Unfortunately, this was not the case for this child. Our children start co-op classes for literature and science in seventh grade. Our co-op uses Sonlight curriculum which is quite academically challenging. At this point, I realized that there was a definite problem. Could I blame laziness or the need to buckle down and get work done? When that didn’t work, I began working alongside my child. I soon realized that my child was struggling with this more challenging curriculum. Staying focused was difficult as well. You see, because I was not sitting beside my child, it added to the struggle of completing the required homework during the week. My child was diagnosed with ADD. I came up empty in my search for individuals or places that would take our insurance to perform a complete psycho-educational evaluation. I was frustrated when I discovered that insurance does not cover these evaluations. Out of pocket, the average cost is around $3,000. For most families, this is just not affordable. After almost two years into my search, I found that Scottish Rite Children’s Hospital offers psycho-educational testing through their Luke Waites Center for Dyslexia and Learning Disorders. The application process is quite long. Your child then has to be accepted. The wait to get in was long, almost 6 ½ months. They also only test children 14 and under. My child got accepted. Fast forward to this 2022-2023 school year. My child faced a boulder that academically caused a total roadblock. Our test date was not until January 2023. I hoped and prayed that we would get the answers we needed. We did! Severe ADHD and a learning deficit which is quite common in children with ADHD. 

Our whole homeschooling trajectory was flipped in multiple directions. I realized homeschooling was going to look totally different. Even though I have been homeschooling for twenty-two years homeschooling is now a bit intimidating. Co-op is on pause in order to get some specialized tutoring. Current curriculum just isn't working so time for change. 

If I had a couple tidbits of advice they would be:

If you suspect your child is dealing with a learning difference follow your mama

gut and seek out a full psycho-educational evaluation. Most places require

no referrals only your thorough observations as their teacher. 

Early intervention is best. 

You are not a failure as a parent or educator. 

Beyond academics observing our children and listening to them gives 

specialists important insight when helping to diagnose learning differences.

 

Immanuel God With Us

Robert Doares is the author and artist of Immanuel God With Us ~ The Life Of Christ In Art, which captures in artwork Christ's life found in the scriptures. Robert began working on paintings about the life of Christ in the 1960s. Nearly twenty years later, the idea of writing a life of Christ series came to him. As the decades passed, a plethora of archaeological and historical material was easily accessible. This was very helpful as Doares worked on his Life of Christ series. Doares made trips to Israel, set out on photographic excursions, researched, and talked to archaeologists in the field. This all gave Doares just what he needed in order to complete the fifty-four drawings and paintings within the pages of what I would call his magnum opus that he dedicated 30 years to complete. He estimated that he spent an average of 400 hours on each piece of artwork. His art collection has been shown at exhibits. Each of Doares' art pieces is 48" by 15". Each art piece is accompanied by text written by Doares.   

I want to share with you some of the magnificent artwork of Robert Doares. 

I apologize in advance as my photographs do no justice to what is in the book.

A few words about the physical book itself. 

Immanuel God With Us ~ The Life Of Christ In Art

is a beautifully designed hardcover book that is 128 pages in length. 

High-quality, acid-free paper is used. 

   

Of the fifty-four pieces of artwork represented in the book, fifty are 
graphite pencil drawings that were done on masonite panel. 
Each drawing has the name of the art piece, original written text by the author,
and scripture references where each scene can be found in the Bible. 
One could spend hours just flipping through the pages of this beautiful book.
The incredible detail in each drawing is surreal. 
I almost felt like I could bring the drawings to life in my 
mind. I could hear people talking, various animals, the rustling of leaves, 
the crashing of waves, and more. I want to point out that my photographs are
the washed out photos and do not show the fine detail of the prints in the book. 
Look at the detail of the rocks, the animals, the foliage. I am not an artist. 
I can truly appreciate the artist's many techniques used 
to create this incredible graphite drawing. 
Walking on the water
The realism of this drawing is incredible. 
There are four paintings in this book and those are 
The Call of Matthew, Blessing the Little Children, 
The Triumphal Entry, and Gethsemane. 
The four paintings represented in this book were oil paintings. 

Such amazing detail. 

Walking on the Water

The realism of this drawing is incredible. 

There are four painting in this book and those are 

The Call of Matthew, Blessing the Little Children, 

The Triumphal Entry, and Gethsemane. 

The four paintings represented in this book were oil paintings. 

Look at the brilliant, vivid colors in this landscape painting. 

The first paragraph for The Triumphal Entry that Doares penned says, 
There was more of heaven than earth in the air that
glorious day when the Holy Spirit swept across the souls
of the multitude. The bliss that filled their worshipful 
hearts is reflected in the billowing clouds, reminding us
of the majestic glory of God presiding over the event.

WOW, weren't those powerful words?
It wasn't until I read Robert Doares' written text that I realized that he had
painted more heaven (clouds and sky) than there was painted earth. 
The crowds' worshipful hearts were a true testimony to God's magnificence 
and presence upon His Son's Triumphal Entry. 

 

I want to share one of the written works of Robert Doares.

The Judas Kiss 
It seems that Satan planned to have Judas betray 
Jesus into the hands of the Sanhedrin. Ordinarily, this
would have resulted in death by stoning. But Jesus had 
repeatedly made it clear that He would be crucified
and that, even then, no one would take His life -- He
would lay - it down Himself.
When the Sanhedrin decided to try Jesus before Pilate,
Satan's plans were foiled. 
The author of confusion and his willing slave drank
deeply from their own cup. And lost. 

Scripture References
Matthew 26:47-50; Mark 14:43-46; Luke 22:47-48; John 18:2-5

From the detailed folds on the clothing to the look on Christ's face, even the leaves on 
the trees, these are just a few details I chose to highlight in this drawing. 

In the front of the book is a beautiful Acknowledgments page written by 

Robert Doares. Also included in the beginning of the book is a very informative

two page Publisher's Forward. I often do not read these but I really wanted 

to know more about Robert Doares and this not only gave information 

about Doares but it also gave interesting information about the artwork

found in this book. The more I studied his artwork, the more I wanted to know

about details. I found myself yearning to know more not only 

about his art, but also about how this book was put together.

I was so excited when I found at the end of the book a three page section

entitled, Artistry on Paper: The Making of Immanuel. This gave me some

of the detail that was swimming in my head. 

I absolutely loved this book. This is a book that you want to display 

on your bookshelf or coffee table so that family and guests can see it

and want to look through it. This book would be a wonderful gift. 

You can purchased using this link  at Crossway.

In the front of the book is a beautiful acknowledgement page written by 
Robert Doares. Also included at the beginning of the book is a very informative
two page Publisher's Forward. I often do not read these but I really wanted 
to know more about Robert Doares and this not only gave information 
in addition to providing information about Doares, 
it also gave interesting information about the artwork
found in this book. The more I studied his artwork, the more I wanted to know
about details. I found myself yearning to know more not only 
about his art, but also about how this book was put together.
I was so excited when I found at the end of the book a three page section
entitled, Artistry on Paper: The Making of Immanuel. This gave me some
of the detail that was swimming in my head. 

Closing Thoughts

I absolutely loved this book. This is a book that you want to display 
on your bookshelf or coffee table so that family and guests can see it
and want to look through it. This book would be a wonderful gift. 
You can order Immanuel God With Us at Crossway.

Disclaimer:I received this book in exchange for my honest thoughts.

ESV Archaeology Study Bible

Like commentaries it is always good to have multiple perspectives. 

Well, study Bibles are somewhat similar. While Bible versions 

vary on wording it is Bibles such as the ESV Archaeology Study Bible 

that give insight into scriptural text that is so helpful. 

The ESV Archaeology Study Bible is a hardcover, double-column, paragraph format,

cross reference Bible. This Bible features:

Footnotes

Study Notes 

Full-Color Photographs

Maps

Diagrams

Timelines

Book Introductions

and more.

What makes an Archaeological Study Bible so helpful is being able to connect

places read about in the Bible with maps, pictures, and photographs. The study

notes are extremely helpful when reading through the scripture. Often times the 

study notes helps to clarify unfamiliar words, customs, or passages. For example,

"Then those who feared the LORD spoke when one another. The LORD paid

attention and heard them, and a book of remembrance was written before

him of those who feared the LORD and esteemed his name." Malachi 3:16

The study note for this verse specifically the phrase book of remembrance.

"The concept of God's keeping such a book of man's actions is seen throughout 

the OT (Ex. 32:32; Isa 65:6, Ezek. 13:9). Similarly, gods of Mesopotamia such as

Nabu, the scribe god, were believed to record men's deeds on the Tablet of 

Destinies. Ahura Mazda, the Persian god of the Zoroastrians, is described in 

the Yasna, a holy book of that religion, as recording the deeds of mankind..."

Being somewhat of a visual learner it is helpful to see what something looked

like to make the scripture text come more alive. Reading about the City of Jericho

was very interesting but then actually seeing a structural layout was great. 

I have always found maps in Bibles to be so helpful in tracking journeys,

locations talked about, distances and terrain. Not only are there lots of 

maps throughout the Bible but there are also maps in the back of the Bible too.

Each book starts with an introduction. It will include:

Theme

Author (if known)

Contributions from Archaeology

Outline

Map

Did you know that the book of Ezekiel was written about and to Jews

in Babylonian exile? Also, did you know that the book of Ezekiel catalogues

measurements of buildings that did not and perhaps never will exist? 

This is a photo of Egyptian papyrus-reed boat. I literally spent several days

just looking at the photos and reading the captions about them. 

The study aids and tools found in this Bible are amazing! So many

scholars went into contributing their expertise from editors, study note

contributors, article contributors, archaeology team, proofreaders, designers,

leadership, and I am sure I am leaving some out. 

There are timelines at the beginning of both the OT and the NT. There are also

articles included before each. One of the articles before the OT begins is,

Daily Life In Israel In Old Testament Times by Gerald L. Mattingly. 

The Dead Sea Scrolls by Paul H. Wright is one of the articles before the NT begins. 

I was definitely impressed by the ESV Archaeology Study Bible. This study 

Bible has been so very helpful while doing my daily Bible study. 

I received this in exchange for my honest opinion.

The Sower

The Sower by Scott James is a beautiful book that lays out the 

grand narrative of God's redemptive work. From the beginning 

of creation God's hand was in every detail. God created 

man and woman. Adam and Eve deeply loved God and 

God deeply loved them. That all changed when Satan placed doubt in 

the minds of man. Sin entered the world. God would provide

a way for redemption, restoration, and reconciliation. This book is 

written for a child to easily understand. The publishers recommended 

age is 4-8 years. The book is hardcover and is 48 pages in length. 

The pages are quality thicker paper. 

For as the earth brings forth its sprouts, 

and as a garden causes what is sown in it to sprout up,

So the Lord GOD will cause righteousness and praise 

to sprout up before all the nations. 

ISAIAH 61:11

The illustrations in this book are incredible! I found myself studying each page. I enjoyed looking at the details of the illustrations and the different techniques that the artist used. I thought about how the art so perfectly fit into the story being told.  

Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden before the fall. 

The barren land. The Illustrator Stephen Crotts did a 

phenomenal job at depicting mans brokenness. The dry 

cracked earth echos mans life. We are cracked, dry, and

desperately in need of a Savior. On the first page it depicts

the Sower sending his powerful Voice of hope. He will

first use messengers to spread his message. You can see the 

illustrator depicts the Sower sowing seed 

(green and orange wavy lines). 

He would send His Son and walk among us. 

The Sower, God. He calls out for man to hear His 

voice. For one day we will see our Savior face to face.

What JOY that will be!

For God, who said, "Let light shine out of darkness."

has shone in our hearts to give the light

of the knowledge of the glory of God

in the face of Jesus Christ.

2 Corinthians 4:6

This book is absolutely a must if you have children. 

It is also the perfect gift for any child in your life. Suggest

that it be added to your church library. Even though the book is 

targeted for children this book would also be a wonderful 

gift for anyone in your life that needs to hear the gospel message.

Disclaimer: I received this in exchange for my honest opinions. 

 

The Nomadic Professor

The Nomadic Professor American History I & II is an online history curriculum for high school students. Dr. W. Kesler Jackson (aka ~ The Nomadic Professor) along with Nate Noorlander approach history without a dreaded textbook and outside of the typical classroom setting. Dr. Jackson utilizes pre-recorded mini lessons that he recorded on location all around the world. What better way to bring history to life than to see where events in history actually to place. This makes for a more engaging learning experience. Nate Noorlander has extensive experience working with high school students. He produces the handouts, guided notes, quizzes, and document lessons for the courses. High School students can earn high school credit for the courses. The Nomadic Professor is part of Timberdoodles Nonreligious 2022 Eleventh-Grade Curriculum Kit . The Nomadic Professor is also part of Timberdoodles Nonreligious 2022 Tenth-Grade Curriculum Kit .  

The courses currently offered by The Nomadic Professor are: 

American History Part I & American History Part II. Part I entitled, TO BEGIN THE WORLD ALL OVER AGAIN.  From the Pre-Columbian Americas to the Ratification of the Constitution (pre-15th century to 1790's). Part II entitled, THE NOISE OF DEMOCRACY. The Presidency of George Washington to the End of Reconstruction (1790 - 1877). 

American History Part III and IV are in the works. They are also working on courses in World History, Western Civilization, Asian History, and Free Speech. They currently also have a course on Media Literacy.

What is so great about The Nomadic Professor courses is that they can be customized for the needs of your student. Once enrolled you can have your student start at anytime. You can help your student set the perfect pace to work through a course. You can adapt the course to fit the needs of your student. There are 3 levels of difficulty: basic, standard, and advanced. Each course is comprised of 10 units, each broken into 3-5 lessons. Course material includes video, audio, text, maps, photos, drawings, charts, and many other graphics. Students will learn by reading, watching, and listening. Courses have around 400-500 pages of notes and informational handouts. There are approximately 70 short lectures filmed on location. Audio versions of the lessons are also available. 

Christopher Columbus Unit 2, Session 3 is part of American History Part I. At the beginning of each session there is a For Instructors section. This will include the Guided Notes Key, Guided Notes Rubic, and a Comprehensive Course Workbook Key along with other course materials. 

The student has the option of either printing the Session Guided Notes or opening them with Google Docs.  

The teacher key is identical to the student notes but has the 

answers written in red. 

Students have the option of listening to the session via Audio. 

I like that multiple options are given. Visual aids such as the below 

Christopher Columbus Timeline help students fully grasp the material.  

The snippets of written text are extremely informative and quite interesting. It 

definitely is not your traditional boring history textbook material. 

The Nomadic Professor does a FANTASTIC job at making learning history fun. 

History comes alive as he travels the world sharing adventures, discoveries, hardships, triumphs, wars, and more throughout American History. 

Dr. Jackson knows his American History! 

After each section that your student completes within a session they

will click on the Mark Complete button. This will take them to the next topic. 

At the end of each session there is a section entitled, In Sum. This pretty 

much summarizes the session. 

This section entitled, Structure Terms tests your students grasp on the material 

learned in the session. They are to match the terms with the definitions. 

I LOVE THIS! 

There are flashcards using Quizlet for the students to study their definitions.

This is the breakdown of Unit 2 Session 3 and the 7 topic covered. 

As your child's teacher you are able to go into your child's Course Report to check on grades, what has been completed, and the date completed. The parent tools throughout the course are easy to access. Students will also find that the site is very user friendly. There is even a Nomad Nation Community Chat Group that is moderated by Nate.  

I would give The Nomadic Professor ★★★★★! I had my incoming 9th grader start American History I and soon realized that the curriculum was a bit too advanced for her. Instead of following the curriculum as intended I had her watch the videos and learn the vocabulary. I love history and enjoyed reading through the text and watching the videos myself. In my opinion, The Nomadic Professor is an AP History Course that prepares students for college level history or to even clep out of Intro to American History in college. Check out The Nomadic Professor American History I & II

Tiger, Tiger, Burning Bright

 

Tiger, Tiger, Burning Bright! An Animal Poem for Each Day of the Year is a collection of poems about animals. Fiona Waters, an anthologist, found 366 poems that she hoped children would love. Britta Teckentrup, the artist/illustrator, created a beautiful visual story on every page with her amazing artwork. She utilizes vibrant colors with what looks to be watercolor illustrations. Professor Rudine Sims Bishop said, "Books are sometimes windows, offering views of worlds that may be real or imagined, familiar or strange. These windows are also sliding glass doors, and readers have only to walk through in imagination to become part of whatever world has been created or recreated by the author. When lighting conditions are just right, however, a window can also be a mirror. Literature transforms human experience and reflects it back to us, and in that reflection we can see our own lives and experiences as part of a larger human experience." This beautiful hard cover book is part of Timberdoodles 2022 First-Grade Curriculum Kit. The poetry spans a period of over 400 years. This book is recommended for ages 3+. 

Each month lists the calendar day, poem title, and poem author. 

Some of the poets that are familiar to many in this anthology are:

William Blake

Margaret Wise Brown

Lewis Carroll

Emily Dickinson

Robert Frost

Edward Lear

Isaac Watts

Alfred, Lord Tennyson

William Shakespeare

Of course there are a lot of poets that are new to me. 

Louise Bolongaro, Head of Picture Books of Nozy Crow Publishers said: 

"A poem...Look at how a tiny collection of words, carefully arranged, can say so much. Poems are bite-size worlds that can be snacked on word by word or swallowed whole in one big gulp. And, like a picture book, a poem always makes us feel something."

The illustrator has done a fantastic job depicting a Kingfisher with its long pointed bill as it "knives the water" to catch its meal. Two of the three fish are leisurely swimming along while the fish in the middle has spotted the Kingfisher and awaits its fate. 

July 14th's poem "Kingfisher" by John Foster

Dropping

Like a splinter from the sky

It knives the water,

Swiftly strikes,

Turns, surges

Up through the splattering surface,

Back to the willow branch,

Where it sits triumphant,

Wet feathers glistening,

Its silver catch

Dangling from its beak. 

 

April 27th's poem "Rabbit and Lark" by James Reeves

"Under the ground

It's rumbly and dark

And interesting,"

Said Rabbit to Lark.

 

Said Lark to Rabbit,

"Up in the sky

There's plenty of room

And it's airy and high."

 

"Under the ground

It's warm and dry.

Won't you live with me?"

Was Rabbit's reply.

 

"The air's so sunny.

I wish you'd agree,"

Said the little Lark,

"To live with me."

 

But under the ground

And up in the sky,

Larks can't burrow

Nor rabbits fly.

 

So Skylark over

And Rabbit under

They had to settle

To live asunder.

 

And often these two friends

Meet with a will

For a chat together

On top of the hill.

 

I absolutely adore this poem. The illustration that covers both pages is beautiful. I love how the artist used soft pastel colors. The picture depicts a sunny spring day. You cannot see too well but the lark is looking down at the rabbit just as if they are talking to one another. Likewise, the rabbit is peering up at the lark.

Tiger, Tiger, Burning Bright!

The cover of the book depicts a lion that is glaring into the eyes of its readers. My children had to memorize this poem by William Blake in 5th grade. The artist does a fantastic job depicting what the speaker imagines a prowling tiger with its fiery eyes in the dark of the night would look like. What "immortal hand or eye" could have created such a majestic animal. I do not know if the artist intended this but the moon is so very insignificant compared to massive frame of the tiger.  

With Christmas right around the corner I had to add one

last page. December 24th's poem is "The Oxen" by Thomas Hardy.

December 25th's poem is "The Donkey" by Gertrude Hind.

Both of these poems are so full of great meaning. 

In "The Oxen" we see how the Ox is looking reverent in the strawy pen. 

Even the animals are kneeling to pay homage to the babe Christ who is to be born. In the 3rd stanza we see how society today has lost sight of what Christmas is all about. But, "Come; see the oxen kneel." 

In "The Donkey" by Gertrude Hind is a sweet poem about a donkey that

is ONE day old! His body is awkward and after taking in his new 

surrounding he eventually lays down on the ground. And the poem 

ends, "I prayed the world Might be good to him."

My grandson may be too young to enjoy listening to poetry, but he isn't too young to enjoy looking at the colorful illustrations found throughout the 325 pages of Tiger, Tiger, Burning Bright. There are so many animals, colors, and wonderful art to introduce him to. 

My grandson is mesmerized by the vivid colors in this illustration. 

Auntie Phoebe showing peanut the beautiful pages. 

I thoroughly enjoyed reading through the poems in this book. I also loved spending time studying the details in each illustration. If you love art, animals, or poems check out this book. Do you shy away from poetry because you have a hard time understanding poems? You do not always have to understand a poems meaning to enjoy it. From the Dartford Warbler to the Manatee and the Barracuda to the Codfish each month you will read about creatures both big and small. Check out  

Tiger, Tiger, Burning Bright.